- Shared goal of experts from around the world: saving lives while working resource-efficiently
- More than 160 presentations and 85 workshops covering flight operations, medicine and management
- Motto “Beyond Boundaries”: congress brings together experience from six continents
- New concepts and technologies aim to make missions in extreme situations safer
- About 50 industry partners showcase equipment for modern air rescue and air ambulance operations
MUNICH. Around 800 specialists from all over the world will convene in Munich from 16 to 18 September 2026 for the AirMed World Congress. One of the central questions of the world’s leading forum for air rescue and air ambulance services, considering an increasingly tense security and geopolitical situation, a growing number of disasters and mounting financial pressure on air rescue systems, is this: how can rapid assistance from the air succeed under extreme conditions? The event is organised by the non‑profit ADAC Luftrettung and the European HEMS and Air Ambulance Committee (EHAC). Experts from flight operations, medicine, management and industry will gather at two venues to broaden their knowledge across disciplines.
To find answers to these challenges, the AirMed World Congress 2026 will offer more than 160 plenary presentations, 85 hands‑on workshops and 15 panel discussions over three days. Topics include crisis management, care in mass‑casualty incidents, training, base planning, crew concepts, dispatch and quality management. Instead of prescribing a single model, the congress presents different approaches to achieving greater reliability, clearer processes and improved patient safety. Participants will take away concrete ideas – both for further developing existing systems and for building new structures.
A special feature of this year’s edition is its two‑venue concept. At the BERGSON Kunstkraftwerk in Munich, the focus is on specialist presentations and discussion formats, bringing together analysis, reflection and professional debate. At the second congress venue, the newly opened ADAC Luftrettung Campus in Oberpfaffenhofen near Munich, the emphasis shifts to practical application. The site’s unique infrastructure in Europe enables realistic simulation of emergency missions as well as specialised training scenarios. This interplay of theory and practice is enriched by an exceptionally international line‑up of speakers: around 120 experts will travel from Asia, North and South America, Europe, Africa and Oceania.
“What was important to us when designing the AirMed 2026 program?” asks Jens Schwietring, member of the AirMed 2026 Program Committee and Medical Director of ADAC Air Rescue. “Global healthcare challenges call for efficient air rescue that bridges knowledge and practice – internationally connected, adapted to diverse needs, yet united in one goal: delivering the best possible patient care.”
Concrete examples from high‑risk and resource‑limited regions bring theoretical concepts to life. A presentation on “Preparedness and Control in Disaster Management” by Dr. Tal‑Or, Director of the Helmsey Institute for Simulation at Zefat Academic College, draws on real‑world missions in high‑risk and resource‑constrained environments. Clear structures, robust preparedness and flexible decision‑making protect patients and crews even when parts of the infrastructure fail, and these principles can be translated into everyday air rescue practice. Dr. Tal‑Or is a national expert in disaster preparedness and mass‑casualty planning for the Israeli Ministry of Health, including CBRNe and earthquake scenarios. He combines this system perspective with leadership roles in emergency departments and many years of frontline experience in the elite helicopter search‑and‑rescue unit 669 of the Israeli Air Force.
The programme part on disaster and crisis management spans HEMS provision (Helicopter Emergency Medical Services) after major earthquakes, drawing on experience from Japan, a German multi‑operator police concept for structured air support in disaster scenarios, and an operational case study of the fire disaster in Crans‑Montana. This section will be rounded off by a panel addressing the question “How to communicate when everything is broken?”, exploring how communication can be maintained under extreme conditions.
The practical application of insights plays a central role at AirMed 2026 – in conceptual and spatial terms. At the ADAC Luftrettung Campus in Oberpfaffenhofen, participants will train in simulators, complete CRM (Crew Resource Management) sessions and practise hoist operations. Further formats will focus on topics such as connectivity and telemedicine, pre‑hospital ultrasound, or maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) in HEMS. This covers a broad range of key issues in air rescue, with the aim of conveying hands‑on know‑how for both operations and strategy.
What is discussed in presentations and training is also reflected in the exhibition area. The AirMed World Congress 2026 positions itself as a platform for companies and industry partners. Around 50 exhibitors from the aviation and medical technology sectors have already confirmed their participation. Their products and services range from hoists and medical cabin interiors for helicopters and fixed‑wing aircraft to state‑of‑the‑art protective clothing. A special highlight will be an excursion to the ADAC Crash Test Center in Landsberg am Lech, offering participants the opportunity to experience at firsthand how current developments in automotive technology are influencing technical rescue and emergency care.
For professionals from air rescue, emergency medical services, hospitals, industry and public authorities, tickets,
further information and the latest newsletters are available at: www.airmed2026.com
Contact: info@airmed2026.com / About ADAC Luftrettung gGmbH & Press Contact